The agent who reads the T&Cs – and then seizes her opportunity
“I organised a £60,000 group booking with Princess Cruises a year ago for a wedding,” says Travel Counsellor Emma Otter. “I remember the same-sex couple and their guests had booked five cabins, and the booking was starting to creep up towards 16 cabins.
“I knew Princess had a policy where the lead booker receives a free cabin if the group booked 16 cabins in total. Plus, people did not have to book at the same time. That was useful because the couple only really wanted to think about their own needs at the time, not everyone else’s. They had their wedding and date confirmed and then everyone else could book later.
“Princess said once everyone had booked, they would make sure the group was together. The 12-night Canary Islands itinerary also worked because there were five sea days when the ceremony could happen. It worked a treat. We’ve also had repeat bookers from that trip.”
The agent who trusted her instinct and intuition
“I had a lightbulb moment when I went to see a musical by the esteemed Steve Steinman,” reveals Not Just Travel consultant Vikki Coffey. “The woman next to me had seen the show five times in two months. It suddenly came to me that the musical would go down brilliantly on a cruise ship.
“However, it was only after I joined Not Just Travel’s cruise division – and went on their first seminar at sea – that I plucked up the courage to message Steve on Facebook and ask him if he had ever thought about putting on his show onboard a cruise.
“I’d never sold a cruise before, yet I booked 1,700 passengers on a four-day sailing to Cork and Portland onboard MSC Cruises’ Virtuosa. Steve put on four shows during the sailing and hosted several question-and-answer sessions.
“I generated more than £1 million in sales from that one cruise. The best thing was having [MSC Cruises regional sales manager] Vickie Towey as my right-hand woman. She was incredible!”
The agent who shares her fam experiences with her clients
“I’ve found planning cruises for larger groups can be both rewarding and challenging,” admits Blue Bay Travel Personal Travel Consultant Kerry Jones. “When it comes to securing these bookings, taking a fam trip can be invaluable.
"This is particularly true for those looking to undertake a multi-destination trip. The better you know a cruise line, the more confident you feel recommending it.
“I’ve used social media to promote group packages, but honestly, I find contacts through my local community are brilliant. While cruises aren’t always the cheapest option, they offer great value, especially now certain destinations have increased in cost.
"I recently made a £50,000 Caribbean cruise booking for 16 people with P&O Cruises. We’re also booking them for 2026, bringing the total to £100,000.”
The agent who takes their customers away on holiday with them
“I tend to book cruises for escorted groups,” explains Marion Owen of Marion Owen Travel. “I’ll suggest a particular cruise to my regular customers, especially if I’ve already booked it with my husband. Last year, I took 37 customers away on Emerald Radiance on the Douro. The value of the booking was around £114,000.
"I’ll always give my regulars first dibs – my business is 31 years old now, so my customers know me extremely well. I think word of mouth is a valuable tool as an agent. Having a travel agent there to guide customers is also very important, but I do get to enjoy my holiday as well.
“The Emerald Radiance cruise was so successful last year that we’re doing it again on the same ship in 2025. Around 10 people have already booked, which includes some new customers. It’s a case of ‘if it’s good enough for my own holiday, it’s good enough for them’.”
The agent who makes the most of a special occasion
“I wanted to do something to celebrate 30 years in travel and share the occasion with clients,” says GoCruise & Travel’s Jane Chadwick (pictured right).
“A cruise was the obvious choice because we all share the same love for travel and cruising. A seven-night Norwegian fjords cruise on Cunard’s Queen Anne seemed perfect. Stunning scenery, a choice of shore excursions and a ship and line that is special to me for many reasons.
“My daughter Lizy Johnson (pictured left) designed the invites and published them on social media. Within minutes of the initial announcement, the phone rang and the first booking was confirmed. They’ve not stopped coming since.
"We currently have 84 clients joining us and we intend to celebrate my 30 years in travel in style.
